


from one love to another

by zoya_18



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-27
Updated: 2019-07-27
Packaged: 2020-07-20 15:28:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19994491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zoya_18/pseuds/zoya_18
Summary: Steve loved Peggy. She was his first love, and she'd always have an important place in her heart. But, Peggy was happy with Daniel, and Steve's heart was still on that bright-eyed, red-headed partner of his. So, after his first love convinces him to go home, he goes to save the one person he lost far too soon.





	from one love to another

Steve's trip through time had been... exhausting, to say the least.

He returned the sceptre as fast as he could, not wanting to have another encounter with his past self, he returned the tesseract to SHIELD 1970, avoiding Peggy's office as best as he could, placed the Power Stone back where it had originally been (making sure to avoid Quill, even though he was snoring on the ground), and made his way to Asgard to place the reality stone in Jane Foster's body.

He stopped short when he saw an older woman looking at him, a kind smile on her face. "You must be a friend of Thor's?" She approached him, a slightly shocked laugh escaping her as she spotted Steve wielding Mjolnir. "Captain Rogers, I assume? Thor has spoken fondly of his friends upon Midgard, and spoke of you in a honourable way."

Steve nodded, placing the hammer on the floor. "Yes, ma'am. I'm here to return the reality stone." He said, taking the vial of red liquid from the case.

The kind woman nodded, the warmth in her eyes reminding Steve of his own mother. "Of course. I shall place this back in Miss. Foster's body."

Steve gave her a gracious smile, nodding. "Thank you. You must be Thor's mother? Queen Frigga?"

Frigga nodded, taking the vial from Steve's hand. "Yes, I am. I'm sure you have more to do, Captain. I shall leave you."

"He misses you." Steve said, and Frigga looked at him, her eyes watery. "As will I."

With that, Frigga turned on her heel and was gone.

Steve sighed, glancing around at Asgard once again. He would never get a chance like this ever again, he might as well use it well. So, Steve decked out in his futuristic gear, approached the gap between the pillars, showing Asgard in its magnificence. And, Steve couldn't help but shake his head in awe. His friend had grown up here. Lived and almost died here. Young Steve from 1939 wouldn't believe it.

Steve let out a sigh, pressing the button once again, finding himself in New York, in front of the Sorcerer Supreme.

"You're here to return the Time Stone?"

Steve nodded, removing it from the case and into the hands of the Ancient One. "At least Dr. Banner wasn't lying." She murmured, the green stone landing back in her necklace.

She gave Steve a curt nod and turned away to keep the Chitauri away from the sanctum.

Steve's eyes fell on the last stone, shining brightly in its orange glory, but his chest ached just looking at it. So, he pressed the button and found himself stood in New York, decades prior. He made his way towards the newspaper in the trash, glancing at the date.

 ** _MAY 10TH, 1949_**.

He had died four years prior, the war had ended four years ago. And, he was stood outside of a restaurant, by the name of **_L &L AUTOMAT_**.

Steve, who was wearing the suit he'd worn on the run, ran into one of the nearby stores, ripping off the shirt and trousers that was eerily familiar to the clothes he had worn when Fury recruited just before the Battle of New York. He changed in one of the alleyways, placing his suit in the case holding the stones, and entered the restaurant. He was hungry and, thankfully, had taken a couple of dollar bills from 2023 before he left. The restaurant was quiet as he entered, only two or three customers. One of the waitresses was loudly talking to another woman, her back turned away from Steve.

When the bell jingled, indicating Steve had entered, the waitress turned towards him, her mouth opening slightly. "No way."

"What is it, Angie?" Steve swallowed hard at the voice, as the brunette talking to the waitress turned towards him, and her dark eyes widened in surprise. Her hair was still short, her lips coated bright-red and she looked slightly older, but it was still his Peggy.

"Peg?" Steve questioned.

Peggy stood up sharply, her eyes narrowed into the glare that still terrified him. "Who are you?" She demanded.

"It's me, Steve." He said softly and Peggy shoved him, and he stumbled backwards from the surprise of her actually _shoving_ him.

"That's not possible. Steve's dead."

"I swear it's me, Peg. That night, after Bucky... died," Steve grimaced, knowing his best friend was probably under the control of HYDRA at the moment. "You held me as I cried. You told me that everything would be okay, and that we'd avenge him. I swear, it's me."

Peggy's hard exterior crumbled and she stepped back, her eyes filling with tears. "How are you here?" She questioned, her voice weak.

Steve ran a hand through his hair, sighing. "It's a long story."

At his words, Peggy cocked an eyebrow, her eyes flashing. "I think I deserve the bloody story, Rogers. You've been gone for four years!"

Steve nodded, and slid into the booth, facing away from the door.

Peggy glanced back at Angie, who was watching with wide eyes. "Two coffees please, Ang. And, a slice of cherry pie." Angie nodded wordlessly, giving Peggy's arm a comforting squeeze and shooting Steve a glare before doing as her friend told her.

As soon as Peggy sat down, Steve explained everything. From waking up, through the Battle of New York, HYDRA's infiltration of SHIELD and finding Bucky, Ultron, his and Tony's fight, Thanos and the snap, up to time-travelling and the journey he went on to get here. Peggy's face had shifted through shock and anger (a lot of anger, especially when she heard about HYDRA and SHIELD), settling on pure sadness when Steve explained why he'd come here.

"Oh, darling," she said warmly, taking his hand as Steve finished off his now cold coffee. "You shouldn't have come back," Steve looked over at her in shock, but Peggy simply smiled, a bittersweet smile. "This Natasha was a constant in everything, wasn't she?" Steve flushed, and Peggy laughed softly. "I will always love you, Steve, but I have someone else now, darling. His name is Daniel, and he treats me well," Steve nodded. He had expected this, but a small part of him had wanted to see his former lover once again.

"You said Natasha died, getting that last stone?" Steve nodded, confused, and Peggy looked over at him, a determined look on her face. "A soul for a soul, that's what your friend Clint said. Give that stone-keeper the stone and ask for Natasha back. Get her back. You were always stubborn, and I don't believe the future's changed that."

Steve laughed softly, his eyes focusing on everything about Peggy; the soft waves in her chestnut-brown hair, dark eyes full of tears, soft smile playing on her plump, red lips. "You love her, Steve, don't you?"

Steve's face crumpled, a stray tear slipping from his face. "I have for a long time, I just didn't know until she was gone."

Peggy squeezed his hand. "Go get her, love. Treat her right." She said warmly, reaching over and kissing his cheek.

Steve had fallen for Natasha the moment they'd met, admiring everything about her; he just didn't realise that he loved her until after she had died, and he was going to get her back. Even if it meant losing his own life in the process.

Steve recognised the song playing on the jukebox, and stood up, holding out his hand. "I owe you a dance."

Peggy smiled, standing up and taking his hand. Peggy rested her hand on his chest as they swayed to the music, ignoring the looks from the other customers.

Night was already falling, it had been hours since he'd arrived, but Steve didn't want to leave.

But, he knew that this dance with Peggy was nothing like the one he'd had with Natasha once, on an undercover mission before SHIELD fell. Natasha had fit perfectly with him, but Peggy seemed... different.

It wasn't right, unlike how it had been with Natasha. That had been perfect.

Still, Steve leaned down at pressed a warm kiss on the top of her head, closing his eyes and etching the memory into his brain.

"Go, Steve. Get the girl, and go back home, darling. You deserve rest." Peggy said as she pulled away, giving him a soft smile.

Steve pulled her into a tight hug, feeling the tears fall from her eyes as they did his own. Once she had decided he'd lingered too long, Peggy laughed, pushing him back, a grin on her face. "Leave Rogers, before I take that suit and bring her back for you."

Steve smiled back at her, placing a $100 bill on the table, shooting Peggy a wink that had her rolling her eyes. "Tell your friend to keep the change."

"Go, now!" Peggy said, a fond smile playing at her lips as she shoved him towards the door.

"Bye, Peg." He said warmly, trying to pour all of his feelings into two words and with the look Peggy gave him, he could tell it work.

Peggy waved at him, still smiling. "Bye, Steve." She said, handing him the metal case that had been under the table.

Steve walked out of the restaurant and into the alley he'd changed in, stripping from his stolen clothes and back into his stealth suit. He pressed the button that had placed the white suit on his body, and left 1949 for good.

When he opened his eyes, he was in a completely different place, Vormir. The planet was deserted, he realised, as he made his way up the sandy dune and towards the top of the cliff. His eyes fell on the cloaked figure, who turned at his arrival.

"Steven, son of Sarah." Steve's heart stopped, recognizing the voice before he had even turned. _Red Skull._

"Why the hell are you here?" Steve demanded, anger rushing through him as he remembered everything he'd lost due to this one man.

Red Skull didn't even bat an eyelid at the man he'd once tried to kill, simply floating. "After we fought, the tesseract sent me here. Forcing me to guard the Soul Stone. But, it is gone."

"No, it isn't," Steve opened the case a final time, pulling out the stone. "I'll give you the stone if you give me Natasha. The woman that died here."

"It does not work like that, Captain."

"Doesn't it?" Steve stepped closer to the man, his eyes narrowed. "A soul for a soul. I give you the stone, you give me Natasha."

Red Skull contemplated this, before nodding. "You can try, but I cannot be sure it will bring the woman back. Throw it down, perhaps she will arrive."

Steve nodded, approaching the cliff's edge, glancing back to make sure that this wasn't a ruse so Red Skull could push him off, but he was hovering back where he had been before. Steve prayed to whoever existed, every God he knew of, to bring her back. He held his breath and threw the Soul Stone off the edge of the cliff. He stepped backwards from the edge, and for a horrifying moment, nothing happened.

Then, he heard a gasp from behind him. "Steve?" It was that same husky voice he heard everyday for five years.

Steve whirled around, his eyes wide as he met startling green. "Nat." Steve breathed out, rushing forward and pulling the spy into a hug before he could even think of what he was doing.

Natasha reciprocated the hug, burying her head into Steve's chest the same way Peggy had done, and couldn't help but smile at how right it felt.

"H-How? I was dead, and-"

"We won," Steve said softly, pulling away to meet her eyes. "Tony died, sacrificed himself to kill Thanos, but we won. We got them all back, and I brought the stones to their owners."

"How did you get me back?" Natasha questioned.

"A soul for a soul. The stone for you."

Natasha let out a disbelieving laugh, her eyes surprisingly wet. "God, Rogers, you really had to do the noble thing, didn't you?"

Before Steve could open his mouth to object, Natasha leaned up and captured his lips in a soft kiss. It was _perfect_. He pulled away slowly just as quick, catching the small blush falling on Natasha's face, causing him to smile. "Sorry."

"I love you," Steve blurted out, and his eyes widened, as did Natasha's. "I... sorry. But, it's true."

Natasha smiled, kissing him once again. "Good. Because, I feel the same way."

Steve's eyes widened, gaping at her in shock. "Really?"

"Yeah. Have for a while, but you're very oblivious."

Steve laughed, giving her a warm smile. "Should we go?"

Natasha nodded, taking his hand, as they both pressed the buttons for the final time.

Steve found himself back at the ruined Compound, Natasha beside him, and Bruce recoiled in shock. "Nat?" He questioned, eyes wide.

Sam stared at his friends in shock, as Bucky glanced down at their interlocked hands and the flush on Steve's cheeks, the look on his face reminding him of that time he'd seen Agent Carter in that red dress for the first time.

"You... how?" Sam questioned, his eyes wide.

Natasha revelled in the fact that she'd made her friends so shocked, a smirk falling on her lips. "Steve brought me back." She said softly, looking back at the Captain with a smile.

Bruce pulled Natasha into a hug, his huge tears dripping down his face. "God, I tried so hard to bring you back."

Natasha wrapped her arms around him as best as she could, smiling softly. "I'm here now, Bruce. It's okay."

Bruce - realising that he had been squeezing the woman to death - let her down, and gave her one last smile.

"I missed you, Red." Sam said, hugging his friend tightly.

In the years they had spent apart, Sam and Natasha had become closer than ever, both of them filling the places that Riley and Clint had left respectively.

Natasha hugged him back just as tightly, feeling the scruff of his beard tickling her neck. "I missed you too, Wings."

Sam pulled back with tears in his dark eyes, clearing his throat and blinking them away before anyone could see.

Natasha glanced over and saw Steve talking quietly to Bucky, the latter's face shifting from confusion to happiness as he glanced back at Natasha. He sent her a curt nod, and Natasha gave him one back as Steve made his way towards her. He took her hand, and they made their way into a more secluded spot of the woods.

"We're going to have to crash at my old apartment." Steve said softly, his back resting against one of the trees, Natasha stood in front of him.

"That's fine. We'll have time to... have fun."

Steve flushed at her insinuation, the tips of his ears a bright red, and Natasha chuckled. "Can you say it back?" He questioned softly, his bright blue eyes boring into hers.

Natasha was momentarily confused before she remembered their conversation on the cliff. She reached up and kissed him softly, feeling him soften under her touch, relaxing. "I love you, Rogers," She mumbled against his lips, and she felt his lips curl into a smile. "Happy?"

Steve laughed and nodded, his face glowing. "Yeah. I am."

(Natasha didn't just crash at his apartment. What was meant to be a week ended up being years, and Steve found himself not wanting her to leave. So, she didn't.) 


End file.
